Alone Together - Oscar Breaks a Ball (Sample Ep)
episode starts in gym class. The kids are playing soccer in the gymnasium, and Oscar is among them. He's pretty physically active and he's really going at it Coach Donovan: Come on, keep moving. Get those heart rates up! kicks the soccer ball into the opponents' net Coach Donovan: Good job Morrison! Oscar: Panting T-thanks coach kids (Barry & Alex) laugh at Oscar's "sucking up" to the coach. One of them pantomimes kicking up and the other one gets a rather evil grin. Both of them chuckle to themselves see the game go on and one of those kids is kicking the ball. At first it seems that he's going towards the opponent's' goal, but as he gets closer to Oscar it seems that that's not the case. Oscar: Pass it to me! kid does not and when he gets close enough to Oscar, it looks like he revs up an almighty kick and at first it looks like it's going to hit the ball, but then he turns slightly and whams his foot into Oscar's crotch. The animation must make this look as painful as possible Barry: Sarcastically Oops, my bad Oscar: High-pitched Why would you do that? other kids start laughing at Oscar's voice barrels over in pain, grasping the affected area. He's eventually laying on the ground, a tear his welling up in his eye Coach Donovan: Morrison, are you okay? Oscar: a whisper No-not really coach helps Oscar up, but he winces and collapses again. Kids should still be chuckling Coach Donovan: Come on Morrison, man up. It happens to all of us, but we got to get over it. finally gets up, but it's clear that he's still in a lot of pain see that on the schoolbus Oscar's still in pain. He gets up and walks awkwardly. Some kids on the bus are still laughing at him. Oscar just shrugs it off. passes by Nathan Whitaker, who is currently watering his lawn Nathan: You alright, son? Oscar: N-no. breathes in deeply Barry Thompson kicked me in the balls during gym class, and it... won't stop hurting. I think it's getting worse. Nathan: Well, that sucks, but it happens. Play through the pain. I'm sure it'll get better. Oscar: Grumbling Yeah well, if you felt like I did right now, you wouldn't think so. cut to inside with Annabelle reading a magazine. Annabelle: Hey Oscar, are you ready to get your homework done? Oscar: No, I... I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to get some ice and go lay down for awhile walks off screen Annabelle: Alright, we'll try for after dinner. Julie (off-screen): Anna! gets up and runs off-screen towards the scream runs into Julie's room, and she's looking at a cage. In that cage there's a freshly dead hamster named Mr. Snuggles Julie: Scared Anna... what's going on with Mr. Snuggles? Anna: Sympathetically Oh... it looks like Mr. Snuggles died Julie. a beat Julie: Relieved Oh is that all? Mr. Snuggles should be fine by the end of the episode then. looks confused Julie: I mean that's how it works in the movies, right? Annabelle: Julie, I don't think— Julie: So, um... do you want to kiss him, or is it going to have to be me? Annabelle: Nervous I'm going to go check up on Oscar now, okay? see Annabelle backing up nervously into the hallway, where Grace bumps into her, not watching where she's going. Grace turns around, but she's still walking out Grace: Oh, I am so sorry! I didn't see you! Annabelle: What's the hurry? Grace: I got a call from Kurt. He said that Dahlia was in trouble Annabelle: You've forgiven them? Grace: No, but it seems urgent. He wouldn't have called me if it wasn't. I'm going to get Ralph and— Julie (off-screen): Hey do either of you know where I can get a phoenix down? This isn't working! cut to Dahlia's home. Grace and Ralph enter Ralph: So, why are we helping Dahlia after what she did? Grace: Because I'm worried about her see Kurt walk up from the other room Kurt: Oh thank God, you guys are here. Grace: Where's Dahlia? Kurt: She's sleeping in the other room. Ralph: Well that's... not too bad. Kurt: You don't understand, her room was on fire and she was still sleeping. If I didn't see the smoke, the whole place would be in flames right now. runs off into Dahlia's room. The boys follow behind her, with Ralph peeking around bashfully. Kurt is just watching Grace. Dahlia is sleeping on the bed. There's a crushed out cigarette on the floor where the fire started tries to shake Dahlia awake Grace: Come on Dahl, wake up. Wake up. Dahlia: Mumbling I think I'd like to bathe on the roof. outright slaps Dahlia and she still doesn't wake up Grace: Fearful Ralph c-call 9- Ralph: Hey, I found these is holding a pill bottle and he tosses it to Grace Grace: Fuck, she's on cotton tosses the bottle to Ralph Kurt: Prescription painkillers? Ralph: It says here that they really are prescribed to her. A doctor must have given it to her a couple of months back after the car crash. Grace: Angrily Why aren't you calling 911!? to Dahlia Come on, wake up! gets right on dialing 911 cut back to the Morrison home where things aren't better. Oscar is pretty much groaning in pain. Jack is there. It's clear that he just got home from work. Anna is looking on Jack: Anna, call 911 Oscar: excruciating pain N-no. Gotta p-play through the pain. I... can do this. Jack: Stern Oscar, we're going to the hospital now. Oscar: excruciating pain C-coach told me to man up. rubs Oscar's hair sympathetically. We see Anna dialing 911 Jack: Listen to me right now Oscar. Every time someone told me to do that, and I listened, my life was worse for it. Your mother used that on me a lot. Taking your own pain seriously in spite of people or a world that doesn't care doesn't make you less of a man, Oscar. cut to Julie's room Julie: lifts up a trading card And I activate my trap card! Monster Relive! seems disappointed when the hamster does not come back to life the room is filled with the light from red and blue shine all around the room Julie: Shocked Oh shit. They found my arms base! thinks a minute Julie: Oh wait those are ambulance sirens. Oh my god, they found out what's in the basement. enters through the doorway Annabelle: Come on Julie, we've got to go now. Julie: I swear, whatever the guy says he's lying. He's a terrorist and that was the only way I could stop him from blowing up the moon! Annabelle: Julie, we don't have time for your games. Oscar is in a lot of pain right now. Julie: and afraid and saddened Oscar...? What's wrong? Annabelle: We'll explain it on the way there. cut to a medical room where Dr. Masuri (who is constantly nonchalant). He puts an xray on a light table. Dr. Mansuri: Your son had a testicular torsion. You see there. When it happened the school should have brought him here and we might have been able to fix it in time. Jack: Flustered In time!? You mean you can't fix it? Oscar's going to be okay, right? Dr. Mansuri: Yeah, after we remove the affected testicle, he should be totally fine. We'll put in a prosthetic and everything. Jack: You're... removing his testicle? And, as his doctor, that doesn't bother you? Dr. Mansuri: Nah, it's no big deal. I do it all the time. It's pretty much standard operating procedure for testicular cancer. And we do it for prostate cancer too. Need an exam? Jack: Why doesn't that bother you? Dr. Mansuri: If I let these operations bother me, then I'd be hesitant to do them as the cancer spread or your son died of gangrene, which is going to happen if I don't get moving. Good day to you... Mansuri walks out of the room, highly dignified. cut to the waiting room, where Annabelle is listeing to Jack's whisper. Julie is playing around with some of her own toys – chemicals. Jack: And the worst part is... they didn't even have time to tell him before they put him under. random woman from the waiting room chuckles Annabelle: disgust You think this is funny? Woman: Kinda sounds like comedy gold. I mean it can't hurt that much, can it? looks at her with an evil eye, and then feigns her cute child persona Julie: Hey lady... I've been mixing some fruit punches, want to try? Woman: stands up and walks over Uh... sure, that sounds alright. drinks it, and seconds later she barrels over in pain, as if she was hit in the testicles. She's lying right next to Julie and looking at her in confusion. Julie goes into playing with other toys Julie: Nonchalantly It kind of feels like that. Woman: Why would anyone want this? Julie: Well, you're not supposed to kick them, and if you don't they usually feel fine. Kurt, and Ralph enter the picture Grace: I can't believe it. They're just gonna pump her stomach and let her be on her way. Ralph: Well, there's not much else they can do. Grace: Why are we even here? They gave Dahlia the medication turns to see her family there Grace: Guys? What the hell are you doing here? Julie: Straight-faced Oscar's losing a testicle Grace: No... really? and Annabelle look on sadly, and sympathetically. Grace returns a look that shows she doesn't quite understand Jack: From what I can gather, someone in school kicked Oscar in the crotch and they told him to ignore his pain, and he did until he couldn't anymore. Grace: T-that's horrible. He's going to be alright, right? Jack: off to the side Physically yeah. But he doesn't even know yet. to get it out of his mind Why are you here? Grace: Dahlia had a cotton overdose. When he couldn't wake her up, we brought her here. Ralph (off-screen): Hey Grace, she's out now! comes over, and Dahlia is acting like she's in la la land Dahlia: Did I leave the kettle in the zoo? Grace: Softly No Dahlia... no. Doctor: She'll be loopy for a while, but otherwise she should be fine. Keep an eye on her. almost attacks the doctor Grace: That's it? After what you bastards did, you're just going to let her go and hope things go well? Ralph: Woah Grace, calm down. Doctor: bit agitated First of all, I'm not the doctor who prescribed it to her. Second of all, she was supposed to tell us if she had a history of addiction. Grace: Right, because addicts never lie. Doctor: Young lady, we use the medicine that works. Grace: They say heroin is good at treating the pain too. If you really want to use that argument on me. Doctor: Please take your friend and leave the hospital, or I'll be forced to call the police. You're making a scene. leaves in a huff, with Ralph and Kurt looking on nervously Dahlia: And there goes the boom-boom in the candy shoot. Kurt: I-I'll watch her tonight. Ralph: And I'll take care of Grace before she does something rash. cut back to Annabelle, Jack, and Julie in the waiting room. Dr. Mansuri comes out. Mansuri seems to be pretty deadpan Dr. Mansuri: The surgery went fine, as it could have been. Mr. Morrison, you can talk to your son your son now. I haven't told him anything in case you— Jack: Nah, it's better if he knows. I'd better go in and tell him. gets up and follows Dr. Mansuri inside. cut to the hospital room, where Oscar is pretty much unsuspecting. This scene is done with no dialogue as Jack explains. We don't see the exact words he uses. The animation focuses on Oscar's changing emotions from disbelief/humor to fear to anger to sadness. It ends with Oscar hugging Jack in fear and sadness cut to Jack in the principal's office, probably the next day Principal Fletcher: Yes I understand, your son can take all the time he needs. Donovan enters the room Coach Donovan: Yes Principal Fletcher you called me? Who is this? Principal Fletcher: This is Mr. Morrison, father of Oscar Morrison. Coach Donovan: a chuckle Oh I see. How's your boy doing? He had a rough game yesterday. Jack: So rough it literally put him in the hospital. It was due to your negligence that my son lost a testicle Coach Donovan: Snickers Wait, what? Principal Fletcher: Nervously You're not planning on suing, right? Look, I don't have a problem firing Coach Donovan if it'll make you happy. Coach Donovan: Hey, you can't do that! I have tenure! Jack: From what my son tells me you don't treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves. Coach Donovan: What the hell am I supposed to do? Send a boy to the hospital every time he gets kicked in the crotch? If you haven't noticed, this is middle school gilligan cut to two boys in the hallway Kid 1: What's the capital of Thailand? Kid 2: Nervously N-no don't! 1 Kicks the crotch of the first kid Kid 1: BANG-COCK return to the principal's office Coach Donovan: I'll get them to stop growing pimples before I get them to stop kicking each other in the crotch Jack: You'd better do something Principal Fletcher: Praying Please don't sue. Please don't sue. Coach Donovan: and smiling What are you going to do? Defame us? Tell us that we made your boy lose one of his balls? He'll be humiliated. Sarcastically Maybe I should go and tell everyone exactly what could happen. Jack: What the hell is wrong with you? Coach Donovan: That's what being a boy's all about! You get knocks and scrapes all the time. And you might lose a finger or a limb. shadow appears on the window of the principal's office door Kid 3: Hey, do you know what my favorite play is? The Nutcracker! hear another kid fall over in pain Coach Donovan: And you get hit in the family jewels a bunch. cut to home where Oscar is laying on the couch after surgery. He has the remote and he begins clicking through the channels. The first is an expy of America's funniest home videos Announcer 1: And welcome to USA's funniest home videos, and boy do we have a special treat for you today. Because of our overwhelming collection see a compilation of guys getting hit in the crotch, made to look like blooper videos (sports incidents, people landing on fences, etc) changes the channel. It's a brief episode of a sitcom where a woman, pissed off for some reason, kicks a man in the crotch. The sound effects show cheering. Oscar changes the channel again Announcer 2: Try our Peanut N&N's: soft, delicious, and the most satisfying crunch turns off the television Oscar: Hey Julie! What are you doing? cut to Julie, pacing back and forth in front of her hamster cage. Her hair is flustered and she looks a mess. She has a crazy-person wall, the kind you'd see in A Beautiful Mind Julie: Okay Mr. Snuggles, I think I've got it this time. If I go back in time and restart your heart around the time it starts, you'll be alive again! a beat Julie: But... no! If that's the case I'll have no reason to go back in time! slips on some goggles Julie: Well, it's time for this again pulls a lever and we see a contraption sparking with electricity, sparking the hamster wheel in the cage. The hamster corpse gets a little electricity, but otherwise it stays dead. Julie: Damn you! Why won't you live!? I've done everything! I mean Mr. Snuggles, do you know how hard it was to find that genie!? Then again, I should have really known he would have made you a zombie. laughter enters the room Annabelle: Oh Julie, have you been coloring on the walls? Julie: I've got to figure it out! I've got make Mr. Snuggles alive again! looks at the fried hamster in the cage Annabelle: Oh Mr. Snuggles died huh? Well, I'm sure your father will get you another hamster when he gets back. Julie: Indignant But I don't want another hamster. I want Mr. Snuggles. camera shows Julie's DVD collection, and she motions to that Julie: Everything I know says I should be able to bring him back. Annabelle: You see Julie, in real life... death doesn't work that way. Julie: Straight-faced They brought Tinkerbell back. thinks for a moment Annabelle: I know, I'll bring over one of my favorite movies as a kid: The Lion King. gilligan cut to Julie watching the TV in front of Oscar. We're presumably at the scene with Mufasa's death Julie: and objective Oooh, that's how death works. Beat I am so''getting coal from Santa this year. cut to Grace entering Dahlia's house. As she passes through the driveway, the cars are missing – Dahlia's parent(s) are presumably at work right now. Grace: Dahlia, I'm here to check up on you, where are you? passes by a few paintings that were not there yesterday Dahlia: (off-screen) happy Oh hi Grace! I'm in the kitchen! enters the kitchen, to find Dahlia painting another one, halfway through it Grace: Did you... do all of these today? Dahlia: Yup, I feel so full of energy and so alive! a beat Grace: Do you remember what happened last night? Dahlia: Straight Did... something happen last night? Grace: Dahlia, where are the pills? gets hostile Dahlia: I thought you were better than that Grace. Grace: Dahlia, you OD'd last night, and the next fucking day you're high again. Give me the pills. Dahlia: Y-you want them for yourself, don't you? Grace: No. Why would I— Dahlia: Well you can't have them! I need them. They take away my pain, Grace. They let me do my art. Grace: Dahlia when I found you last night, I had thought you died. Dahlia: I took a little too much, that's all. It won't happen again. Grace: That car crash was months ago, Dahlia. Why are you still taking this stuff? returns to her painting. Dahlia: Shows how much you know, that car crash did some real damage on my spine. I even have the medical records to prove it. looks at Dahlia suspiciously, then she gets an idea. She steps over to the back, and shouts at Dahlia specifically to get her attention Grace: Oh, here they are Dahlia: Don't touch them! punches Grace in the face. Grace now has a nosebleed Grace: Dahlia, you've got a problem. looks at herself, shocked. She stares at the hand that has Grace's blood Dahlia: I... I... I'm sorry. Grace: Dahlia, I want to help you. Let me help you, and give me the pills. opens a cupboard and tosses Grace the pills. Grace flushes them down the toilet of a bathroom adjacent to the kitchen. Dahlia breathes deeply, and then Grace sits down an aggravating few seconds Dahlia: I'm going to be okay Grace. I think I can handle myself. isn't fazed Grace: Those weren't the only pills, were they? two of them stay silent for a few seconds Grace: You're waiting for me to leave, and the second I do you're going to start taking them again. Dahlia: M-my pain Grace. Grace: Pain isn't your problem. Addiction is your problem. reaches into a potted plant, and she takes the pills she has and pours it down the toilet. Grace: Don't worry, I'm here for you. Dahlia: smugly You're a good friend Grace. cut to "next Monday" and Oscar is finally ready to go back to school. It's gym class, and he presents a note to Coach Donovan Coach Donovan: What's this? Oscar: A note from my doctor that says I'm supposed to sit out of gym class for the next couple of weeks. Coach Donovan: Smugly Oh okay & Barry come up to Oscar, and they seem to be really sinisterly happy Barry: to himself Hey, you're finally back. Did I really break your dick that bad? Alex: I don't know, maybe we should test it. revs up for a kick. Time seems slowed. Oscar looks over to Coach Donovan, and he seems content to do nothing Oscar: Stop! stops the kick Barry: Oh... what's the matter? Donovan comes over, still smug Coach Donovan: What exactly is going on over here? Oscar: Alex was about to kick me in the crotch. Are you going to do anything!? Coach Donovan: his eyes Oh yeah, sorry. Don't kick Oscar in the balls kiddies, last time someone did that he lost one. kids start laughing, like this is the funniest thing on the planet. gilligan cut to Jack, Coach Donovan, and the principal in the principal’s office. Jack isn’t even acknowledging the principal, he’s looking at Donovan. Donovan looks unphased Jack: What. The. Fuck. Principal Fletcher: Oh crap, he’s going to sue. Coach Donovan: What was I supposed to do? Jack: Oh, I don’t know, anything but what you ''did do. Do you have any idea what my son is going through right now? cut to Oscar walking through the hallway. A lot of kids are laughing at him Kid 5: Mocking Might want to take up ballet now, right? just shrugs him off angrily Kid 5: What’s the matter? Not going to do anything? Oh that’s right, I forgot. You don’t have the balls for it. kid comes up to Oscar and hands him a gift. She seems to be sympathetic at first Kid 6: Hey, don’t worry about him. Look, I got you a gift. opens it up. It’s a tennis ball Kid 6: Laughing To replace the one you lost! grasps it, and debates throwing it, but he represses his anger and just makes his way through. cut back to the principal’s office Jack: Would you treat a student who lost his finger in shop class the same way? Principal Fletcher: Um… we don’t have shop class anymore. Too big of a lawsuit risk. Coach Donovan: What do you want Mr. Morrison? Should I give him the old diatribe of “sticks and stones” and turn even more attention on him. It was gonna come out one way or another. Jack: Coach Donovan, which student put my son in the hospital? cut to after school. Oscar is just about to start walking towards the bus before he gets a punch to the head by Barry Barry: Because of your fucking father I got expelled, Morrison! licks the blood off of his lips Oscar: What’s the matter? Don’t got the balls to take it? hands Barry the tennis ball You might need this. throws another punch, but the bus door closes and he ends up punching that. Instead. Oscar doesn’t even give a smile. He just looks at Barry with contempt cut to Grace entering Dahlia’s house again to find her passed out. Grace looks scared, desperate, and angry Grace: Dahlia, not again. shakes Dahlia awake Dahlia: Groggy Grace, w-why are you here? Grace: To check up on you. You’re back on the cotton. Dahlia: I tried Grace… I really did. looks to see Dahlia’s purse tipped over. Inside there are various prescriptions Grace: Angrily Yeah, tried to get as many pills as possible. These prescriptions are from three different doctors. Weston Hospital. You went all the way to Weston to get another prescription? Dahlia: Are you gonna throw my pills out again? Grace: W-what’s the point? I throw them out and you’ll just get more. Kurt says he’s missing like 200 dollars. And I think I know where it might have gone. Dahlia: Kurt’s a liar. I only took like 150. Grace: You’re 17 Dahlia, and you’re throwing your life away on this shit. They call it hillbilly heroin for a reason. Dahlia: Angrily Don’t give me that holier than thou bullshit. I mean, I finally find a way to get high--get happy--without running into problems with the cops, and you’re the one who tries to get me down. You’re such a fucking hypocrite. You’ve done everything I’ve done. looks over to the cigarette burns Grace: Not everything Dahlia. I’ve never manipulated doctors into writing me prescriptions. I’ve never stolen to fuel an addiction. I’ve never put my life in danger to chase some kind of high. Dahlia: Well what the fuck am I supposed to do then? My mom’s never home. Hell only knows where my dad’s run off to. There’s no way I’m gonna graduate. drops into tears Grace, I don’t have a life to throw away. hug for a moment and it seems heartwarming, until Grace catches Dahlia’s hand trying to reach into her pocket. Grace lifts up the hand with her wallet in it. Grace is highly disappointed Grace: And it seems like you’ve given up on everything, but the drugs. You know what, take the money. It’s not even important. You’ll use it up on your next high and then what? You’re running out of friends to rob Dahlia. Dahlia: I… need this. Grace: You need rehab. I’m leaving Dahlia, and I’m not coming back. Dahlia: You’re going to just… abandon me? Grace: Why not? You’ve already decided that you’re worth abandoning. walks out and lets Dahlia stay in the darkness cut to the Morrison household. Julie is on the floor working away at what seems like a robot hamster in the background. Oscar is just laying around on the couch, thinking things through. Annabelle comes by Annabelle: I… couldn’t imagine what you’re going through? Oscar: Sarcastically What gives you that idea? Annabelle: Look, I know you don’t like me very much, but I’m trying to lend you some sympathy. I’m no stranger to bullying myself. Oscar: Try me. You know what some of those kids said about me. What the coach said about me. Annabelle: I know, and you’re no less of a man for-- Oscar: Deadpan There. That’s it. Why do you think that that’s what this is about? Annabelle: Tongue-tied Because you… lost… Oscar: That’s what I can’t stand. If I told anyone that this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, they’d think I was insecure about my manhood. I’m tired of everyone thinking this is some kind of joke. Even the people who are “sympathetic” to me think I’m that petty. gets up and heads towards his room Annabelle: Was this the worst thing that ever happened to you? Oscar: even turning No. Julie: There! I’ve invented a new Mr. Snuggles! He’ll never break down and we can be together for thousands and thousands of years! cut to outside. Grace is smoking a joint, outside the Morrison household. Ralph walks up Ralph: Grace, what the fuck are you doing? Do you know what’ll happen if the cops see you? Grace: to him Why should I care? sits down next to Grace Ralph: nervously back and forth Is there something you want to talk about, Grace? Grace: Dahlia has been smoking pot since she was 13 years old, could start and stop at any time. It’s illegal. The first drugs she’s allowed to have by law, she gets hooked and her life spirals out of control. Ralph: Like her life was “in control” to begin with. Grace: When my mother was around she was drunk so often. And there was jackshit the law would do about. The entire system is so fucking broken. Give me one reason why I should respect any of these drug laws. Ralph: nervous Because you’ll go to jail if a cop sees you. unimpressed, tosses it across the street Grace: Happy? I have such little respect for all of this. too seriously I’m thinking of becoming an anarchist. Ralph: Good luck getting elected. Grace, the law isn’t perfect. This is why we’re allowed to vote, or will be in a couple of years. Grace: Politicians are like sperm. Only one in few million turns out to be human, and it could only happen in an environment they were placed in by chance. Ralph: So, you’re just going to give up? Just like that? Just like Dahlia? looks at Ralph intensely Grace: Why do you have to say things like that? Things that make me think? Ralph: I have a gift. This isn’t about the law though. It’s about Dahlia. Grace: Seeing her OD’d like that… made me realize that I don’t want to lose her. Ralph: That’s not it at all. It’s not that you’re afraid of losing her. You want to fix her. And Grace, you can’t. The problem with addicts is that it doesn’t matter if you want them to get better, no matter who you are. They have to be the ones who want to get better. You can’t make that commitment for them. Grace: Do you think that Dahlia will get to that point? Ralph: I think you’ll know when and if that happens. You’ll be the first person she tells. Grace: I think you’re right. Now I gotta go see if my brother is okay. cut to Oscar in homeroom the next day, there’s an announcement on the intercom Principal Fletcher: This is an announcement that we have expelled a Mr. Barry Saddler. He caused a permanent injury to another student. From this point on, any student engaging in crotch-kicking will be suspended for three days soon as the principal says “crotch-kicking” the students start laughing. They continue to chuckle at Oscar himself Principal Fletcher: And furthermore we will be having an assembly today shedding some light on the problem. Kid 7: Oh, so the assembly is about shedding light on Oscar’s testicle. entire class bursts into more laughter puts his head down in shame. We transition to the assembly where Oscar is trying to make himself small in the assembly during the gymnasium Coach Donovan: Straight-faced Students, we’ve gathered you all here today for a very serious chuckles topic. We’re here to talk about taking into laughter testicular pain seriously. laughs, the student-body laughs. We see Oscar getting a little bit more outraged, and looking more ready to stand and stand up for himself. Coach Donovan: Offhandedly Couldn’t read that with a straight-face Oscar: Then let me do it for you entire student body goes silent. Oscar walks up to the stage, there are some eyes on him, but it’s entirely ambience. He finally gets up to the stage Coach Donovan: Has the little boy who broke a ball finally become a man again? just eyes him with contempt, and takes the stand. He looks at the paper for a moment or two, and then crumples it up Oscar: What’s the most painful thing that’s ever happened to you? the audience can even react, he points to a kid in the front row Oscar: You. Kid 7: I um… I was running on ice, and I broke my leg. Oscar: What happened afterwards? Kid 7: Well, my parents took me to the hospital Oscar: Right away? 7 nods Oscar: And I bet your friends all got to sign your cast too? a beat Oscar: That’s good. That’s what’s supposed to happen when you get an injury. a beat Oscar: Now imagine if someone intentionally broke your leg because they thought it was funny. The people watching you didn’t think it was a problem, and the operation required to fix it and turns towards the coach SAVE YOUR LIFE made everyone make fun of you. How would you feel? Kid 7: I… I don’t know. Oscar: This is what happened to me, because what happened to break was on the most painful part of my body. You treated me like a walking joke. Why? look down at Coach Donovan, who is quite upset, and frantically talking to the principal Coach Donovan: Why are you letting this go on? Principal Fletcher: To be totally honest, he has only half the balls, but he’ll be twice the man you’ll ever be. cut back to Oscar Oscar: You keep laughing, but it could have happened to any other boy in this room. Who knows, it might happen in the future. If what my doctor tells me is true, it could even happen in your sleep. a sense of paranoia in the audience, and there are some chuckles here and there Oscar: Ha ha, you think I’m joking. Then again, maybe if the school actually taught us these things in health class I might still have my testicle. principal looks really guilty Principal Fletcher: We are so getting sued. Oscar: No, instead coach tells me to “man up” and of all ironies, it needs to get removed. You see, I know what the word irony means because the school thought it was more important to teach me that than proper health care. Principal Fletcher: Definitely getting sued. turns to his coach Oscar: Hey coach, tell me, if I “pussied out” and actually did something about my own pain would I be less of a man? Or would I be less of a man for not doing anything and losing a testicle? Coach Donovan: I… uh… Oscar: Because that’s the situation you put me in. There’s nothing wrong with caring about your own pain. And if someone tries to stop you, make them listen. Coach Donovan: Look, I teach gym and I run sports and I can’t have my students or my athletes run off every two seconds crying like little babies. Athlete: What about the headache you told me to ignore, coach? You know, the one that turned out to be a concussion? coach starts sweating as the audience has turned against him Coach Donovan: Look, we can’t put safety pads on everything. Do you want me to kiss your boo-boos too? Oscar: I can’t win with you coach, can I? I took my injury “like a man.” I took my surgery “like a man.” I even took my bullying “like a man,” and the only time you don’t want me to “be a man” is when it comes to standing up to you. Coach Donovan: to the principal Why aren’t you stopping this? Principal Fletcher: There’s absolutely no way I could stop a lawsuit at this point, so there’s not much I can do but wait for this to all blow over. Oscar: Then again, this isn’t about “being a man.” Every kid I’ve come across has bullied me for something terrible that happened to me, boy and girl. Tell me, you there, what’s funny about having your finger cut off? Kid 8: N-nothing. Oscar: Then what’s funny about having my testicle removed? Kid 8: Nothing. Oscar: Exactly. get an ending scene that shows some of the results of said episode, probably played over some music. Coach Donovan gets fired. The principal is on the phone, probably with angry sue-happy parents. Oscar seems to still be slightly bullied, even as time goes on. Then we see another boy thanking Oscar, presumably because he also had a testicular torsion and was able to go to the operating room in time. Dahlia comes to Grace, tearful and sorrowful. The episode ends with them in front of Weston Rehab Clinic, with Grace helping Dahlia inside Dahlia: It’s going to be a hard road, isn’t it? Grace: The first step is always the hardest.